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WILL  JESUS  CHRIST  SATISFY  THE 
RELIGIOUS  NEEDS  OF  THE  WORLD? 

INAUGURAL  ADDRESS 


Reverend  ROBERT  ERNEST  HUME,  Ph.D. 


AS  MARCELLUS  HARTLEY  PROFESSOR  OF  THE  PHILOSOPHY 
AND  HISTORY  OF  RELIGION  AND  MISSIONS 

WITH  THE 

INAUGURATION  EXERCISES,  BEING  THE  OPENING 
SERVICE  OF  THE  SEVENTY-NINTH  ACADEMIC 
YEAR  OF  THE  SEMINARY 


OF  THE 


IN  THE  CHAPEL 
THURSDAY,  OCTOBER  FIRST 
MCMXIV 


Cl HUnton  ecological  gtmtnarp 

in  t^c  city  of  pom 


WILL  JESUS  CHRIST  SATISFY  THE 
RELIGIOUS  NEEDS  OF  THE  WORLD? 

INAUGURAL  ADDRESS 

OF  THE 

Reverend  ROBERT  ERNEST  HUME,  Ph.D. 

AS  MARCELLUS  HARTLEY  PROFESSOR  OF  THE  PHILOSOPHY 
AND  HISTORY  OF  RELIGION  AND  MISSIONS 

WITH  THE 

INAUGURATION  EXERCISES,  BEING  THE  OPENING 
SERVICE  OF  THE  SEVENTY-NINTH  ACADEMIC 
YEAR  OF  THE  SEMINARY 


IN  THE  CHAPEL 
THURSDAY,  OCTOBER  FIRST 
MCMXIV 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

I 

THE  ORDER  OF  SERVICE 5 

II 

THE  INAUGURATION  EXERCISES  ....  7 

III 

THE  CHARGE 11 

IV 

THE  INAUGURAL  ADDRESS  - 15 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 


I 


THE  ORDER  OF  SERVICE 

Organ  Prelude 

Processional  Hymn  116  “ Our  God,  Our  Help  in  Ages  Past  ” 

The  Lord’s  Prayer 

Chant:  “Benedictus” 

Scripture  Lesson  : Colossians  i : 9-22 

The  Rev.  Professor  Julius  August  Bewer,  Ph.D. 

Hymn  664  “ O God  of  Love,  O King  of  Peace  ” 

Statement:  William  M.  Kingsley,  M.A. 

The  President  of  the  Board  of  Directors 

Reading  of  the  Preamble  to  the  Constitution 

Declaration : The  Professor-Elect 

Declaration : The  President  of  the  Board  of  Directors 

Prayer : The  Rev.  Joseph  Dunn  Burrell,  D.D. 

Charge : The  Rev.  Anthony  Harrison  Evans,  D.D. 

on  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Directors 

Inaugural  Address:  “Will  Jesus  Christ  Satisfy  the 
Religious  Needs  of  the  World ! ” 

The  Rev.  Professor  Robert  Ernest  Hume,  Ph.D. 

Hymn  401  “ Christ  for  the  World  We  Sing  ” 

Prayer  and  Benediction  : 

The  Rev.  Professor  Hugh  Black,  D.D. 

Recessional  Hymn  594  “Forward  be  Our  Watchword” 

Organ  Postlude 


5 


II 


THE  INAUGURATION  EXERCISES 

The  Inauguration  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Ernest  Hume,  Ph.D., 
as  Marcellus  Hartley  Professor  of  the  Philosophy  and  History 
of  Religion  and  Missions,  took  place  on  Thursday  afternoon, 
October  1,  1914,  at  four  o’clock,  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Seminary, 
being  the  Opening  Service  of  the  Seventy-ninth  Academic  Year. 

After  devotional  exercises  the  President  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  William  M.  Kingsley,  M.A.,  made  the  following 
statement : 

“ On  the  11th  day  of  November,  1913,  the  Board  of  Directors 
of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  by  unanimous  vote,  elected 
the  Reverend  Robert  Ernest  Hume,  Ph.D.,  then  a Missionary 
of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions 
in  Bombay,  India,  to  the  Marcellus  Hartley  Professorship  of 
the  Philosophy  and  History  of  Religion  and  Missions.  Dr. 
Hume  has  accepted  and  is  now  beginning  his  work  here. 

“ The  organic  law  of  the  Seminary,  as  amended  after  careful 
and  prolonged  consideration  by  the  Board  of  Directors,  and 
adopted  November  15,  1904,  requires  each  Professor  when 
entering  upon  the  duties  of  his  Chair  to  make  a certain 
Declaration  immediately  after  the  reading  of  the  Preamble 
adopted  by  the  Founders  on  the  ISth  day  of  January,  1836. 
I will  now  call  upon  Dr.  Francis  Brown  to  read  the  Preamble.” 

“ Preamble 

“ That  the  design  of  the  Founders  of  the  Seminary  may  be 
fully  known  to  all  whom  it  may  concern,  and  be  sacredly 
regarded  by  the  Directors,  Professors  and  Students,  it  is  judged 
proper  to  make  the  following  preliminary  statement : 

“A  number  of  Christians,  both  clergymen  and  laymen,  in  the 
cities  of  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  deeply  impressed  with  the 
claims  of  the  world  upon  the  Church  of  Christ  to  furnish  a 
competent  supply  of  well-educated  and  pious  ministers  of  the 
Gospel;  impressed  also  with  the  inadequacy  of  all  existing 

7 


8 


means  for  this  purpose;  and  believing  that  large  cities  fur- 
nish many  peculiar  facilities  and  advantages  for  conducting 
theological  education ; having,  after  several  meetings  for  con- 
sultation and  prayer,  again  convened  on  the  18th  of  January, 
A.  D.  1836,  unanimously  adopted  the  following  resolutions  and 
declarations : 

u 1.  Resolved,  in  humble  dependence  on  the  grace  of  God 
to  attempt  the  establishment  of  a Theological  Seminary  :n  the 
City  of  New  York. 

“ 2.  This  Institution  (while  it  will  receive  others  to  the 
advantages  it  may  furnish)  is  principally  designed  for  such 
young  men  in  the  cities  of  New  York  and  Brooklyn  as  are,  or 
may  be,  desirous  of  pursuing  a course  of  theological  study,  and 
whose  circumstances  render  it  inconvenient  for  them  to  go 
from  home  for  this  purpose. 

“ 3.  It  is  the  design  of  the  Founders  to  furnish  the  means 
of  a full  and  thorough  education,  in  all  the  subjects  taught  in 
the  best  Theological  Seminaries  in  the  United  States,  and  also 
to  embrace  therewith  a thorough  knowledge  of  the  standards 
of  faith  and  discipline  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

“ 4.  Being  fully  persuaded  that  vital  godliness  well  proved, 
a thorough  education,  and  a wholesome  practical  training  in 
works  of  benevolence  and  pastoral  labors,  are  all  essentially 
necessary  to  meet  the  wants  and  promote  the  best  interests  of 
the  kingdom  of  Christ,  the  Founders  of  this  Seminary  design 
that  its  Students,  living  and  acting  under  pastoral  influence, 
and  performing  the  important  duties  of  church  members  in 
the  several  churches  to  which  they  belong,  or  with  which  they 
worship,  in  prayer-meetings,  in  the  instruction  of  Sabbath- 
schools  and  Bible-classes,  and  being  conversant  with  all  the 
social  benevolent  efforts  in  this  important  location,  shall  have 
the  opportunity  of  adding  to  solid  learning  and  true  piety, 
enlightened  experience. 

“ 5.  By  the  foregoing  advantages,  the  Founders  hope  and 
expect,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  to  call  forth  from  these  two 
flourishing  cities,  and  to  enlist  in  the  service  of  Christ  and  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry,  genius,  talent,  enlightened  piety  and 


9 


missionary  zeal ; and  to  qualify  many  for  the  labors  and  man- 
agement of  the  various  religious  institutions,  seminaries  of 
learning,  and  enterprises  of  benevolence,  which  characterize 
the  present  times. 

“6.  Finally,  it  is  the  design  of  the  Founders  to  provide  a 
Theological  Seminary  in  the  midst  of  the  greatest  and  most 
growing  community  in  America,  around  which  all  men  of 
moderate  views  and  feelings,  who  desire  to  live  free  from 
party  strife,  and  to  stand  aloof  from  all  extremes  of  doctrinal 
speculation,  practical  radicalism  and  ecclesiastical  domination, 
may  cordially  and  affectionately  rally.” 

The  President  of  the  Board  continued : 

“ I now  call  upon  Dr.  Hume  to  make  the  required  declara- 
tion.” 


Dr.  Hume  then  made  the  required  declaration,  as  follows : 

“ I promise  to  maintain  the  principles  and  purposes  of  this 
Institution,  as  set  forth  in  the  Preamble  adopted  by  the 
Founders  on  the  18th  of  January,  1836,  and  in  the  Charter 
granted  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York  on  the 
27th  of  March,  1839,  and  accepted  by  the  Board  of  Directors 
on  the  20th  of  December,  1839.” 

[The  Charter  is  a simple  Act  of  Incorporation,  of  which  only 
the  following  section  refers  to  the  educational  work  of  the 
Seminary : 

“ § 5.  Equal  privileges  of  admission  and  instruction,  with  all 
the  privileges  of  the  Institution,  shall  be  allowed  to  students  of 
every  denomination  of  Christians.”  ] 

The  President  of  the  Board  then  said : 

u Having  been  chosen  by  the  Board  of  Directors  a Professor 
in  this  Seminary,  and  having  made  in  this  public  manner  the 
declaration  required  by  the  Board,  I now  declare  the  Rev.  Pro- 
fessor Robert  Ernest  Hume,  Ph.D.,  duly  inaugurated  Marcellas 
Hartley  Professor  of  the  Philosophy  and  History  of  Religion 
and  Missions,  and  as  such  entitled  to  discharge  all  the  duties 
of  that  office  in  this  Seminary.” 


10 


Prayer  was  then  offered  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  D.  Burrell.  D.D., 
of  the  Board  of  Directors. 

The  President  of  the  Board  then  said : 

“ It  is  the  custom  of  this  Board  to  appoint  one  of  its  mem- 
bers to  deliver  on  its  behalf  a Charge  to  a Professor  on  his 
inauguration,  and  the  Board  has  appointed  the  Rev.  Anthony 
Harrison  Evans,  D.D.,  to  deliver  the  Charge  to  Professor 
Hume.” 

The  Charge  was  then  delivered  by  Dr.  Evans,  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  Inaugural  address  of  Professor  Hume.  The 
exercises  closed  in  the  manner  indicated  by  the  Order  of 
Service. 


Ill 


THE  CHARGE  TO  PROFESSOR  HUME 

BY  THE 

Reverend  Anthony  H.  Evans,  D.D. 

On  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Directors 


My  Brother: 

The  Directors  of  the  Seminary  have  given  me  the  happy  task 
of  charging  you  on  this  important  occasion.  I do  so  the  more 
gladly  because  when  you  were  a student  in  this  school  of  the 
prophets  you  were  appointed  to  work  in  the  church  which  I 
served,  and  we  were  associated  together  in  promoting  the 
Kingdom  of  God. 

The  consecration  of  your  life,  the  enthusiasm  with  which  you 
pursued  your  labors,  the  high  intellectual  and  spiritual  quality 
of  your  services,  and  the  strong  and  beautiful  influence  of  your 
Christian  character  in  the  days  of  our  first  fellowship,  I recall 
with  admiration  and  pleasure.  You  gave  sure  promise  of 
notable  achievement  in  furthering  the  cause  of  Christ.  You 
have  fulfilled  that  promise.  You  have  realized  the  hopes  that 
were  entertained  of  your  future.  By  your  industry,  zeal  and 
fidelity  in  the  exercise  of  your  talents,  you  have  achieved  a 
great  opportunity  to  serve  mankind. 

You  have  been  called  to  a high  place,  a place  made  especially 
eminent  by  the  abilities  and  accomplishments  of  your  prede- 
cessor, the  late  lamented  Professor  George  William  Knox.  The 
duties  you  are  now  to  assume  are  big,  and  they  will  require  of 
you  the  fullest  use  of  your  mental  and  spiritual  energies.  You 
are  abundantly  warranted  in  assuming  these  duties  with  con- 
fidence and  with  joy.  The  circumstances  of  your  life,  the 
character  of  your  ministerial  service,  and  the  qualities  that 
have  marked  your  career  and  personality  have  especially  fitted 
you  for  the  new  responsibilities  now  awaiting  your  earnest 
attention.  The  Seminary  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  com- 
pleteness and  worth  of  your  equipment,  and  you  are  to  be  con- 

11 


12 


gratulated  upon  being  called  to  labor  in  so  inspiring  a field  and 
in  the  fellowship  of  so  choice  and  consecrated  a company  of 
God’s  servants. 

In  putting  on  the  professorial  toga  I bid  you  not  to  allow  it 
to  smother  or  obstruct  the  freest  expression  of  your  personality. 
Much  depends  these  days  upon  the  man,  upon  the  manner  of 
his  approach  to  men,  the  sincerity  of  his  spirit,  the  sympathy 
of  his  heart,  the  nobleness  of  his  character,  the  vitality  of  his 
service.  You  will  have  much  to  say  in  the  course  of  your 
career  in  this  Seminary,  and  your  utterances  will  be  more 
effective  for  the  genuineness  and  strength  and  charm  of  your 
own  personal  life.  Amid  all  the  absorptions  of  your  mind  in 
the  intellectual  aspects  of  your  work,  you  will  not  fail  to  main- 
tain and  increase  in  yourself  personally  those  spiritual  graces 
which  so  become  you  as  a Christian  man  and  which  are  so 
essential  to  your  highest  usefulness.  The  finest  spirits,  the 
holiest  natures,  the  greatest  enthusiasts,  as  well  as  the  most 
competent  and  accomplished  minds  are  needed  in  our  Chairs  of 
theological  instruction.  So  let  the  light  of  your  soul  shine  out 
and  the  truth  you  speak  will  take  on  additional  brightness  and 
clearness. 

As  a teacher  you  will  need  to  have  in  your  mind  not  merely 
the  truth  but  those  who  are  being  taught  and  the  great  pur- 
pose. So  you  will  avoid  being  pedantic  or  too  academic.  You 
will  concern  yourself  with  the  practical  question  of  training 
men  for  the  great  task  of  establishing  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
You  will  seek  to  make  the  truth  you  present  living,  inspira- 
tional, useful,  a genuine  contribution  to  the  equipment  of  the 
students  for  their  life  work.  You  will  strive  so  to  teach  that 
students  will  leave  your  classes  not  simply  crammed  with 
information  but  charged  with  inspiration.  You  will  help  to 
make  this  Seminary  not  only  a communicator  of  truth  and  well- 
fortified  assurances,  but  a power-house  wherein  devout  souls 
preparing  themselves  for  the  service  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
shall  be  unfailingly  furnished  with  enthusiasm  for  their  blessed 
calling. 

Knowing  the  reality  and  depth  of  your  human  sympathy,  I 
hardly  need  to  remind  you  to  keep  in  close  touch  with  strug- 
gling humanity.  Having  been  stirred  by  the  sufferings  and 


13 


sorrows  of  mankind,  and  having  seen  the  sad  and  blighting 
effects  of  ignorance  and  sin,  you  will  not  forget  the  troubled 
world  lying  beyond  this  seat  of  learning.  You  will  often 
wander  in  spirit  among  the  haunts  of  men,  to  watch  them  in 
their  toils  and  temptations,  to  see  them  groping  hopelessly  in 
the  dark,  to  follow  them  as  they  trudge  along  with  heavy 
burdens  and  with  heavy  hearts,  and  to  behold  them  in  all  the 
tragic  and  pitiful  conditions  to  which  they  are  heir  by  nature 
and  circumstance.  And  that  loving  heart  of  yours  will  keep 
tender  and  compassionate,  and  you  will  be  moved  by  a great 
longing  to  save  and  bless  mankind.  The  spirit  of  Jesus  will 
continually  possess  you,  and  this  will  serve  to  make  you  wise 
and  helpful.  You  will  put  yourself  in  the  minister’s  place. 
You  will  know  and  understand  the  actual  problems  that  are  to 
be  solved,  and  your  teaching  will  meet  the  demands  of  a minis- 
try that  must  be  trained,  not  to  discuss  problems  primarily  but 
to  solve  them.  So  you  will  continue  to  keep  in  sympathetic 
contact  with  the  great  field  of  humanity  while  pursuing  your 
labors  in  this  attractive  environment  and  in  this  communion  of 
saints  and  scholars. 

‘•Now  must  Christ  be  everything  to  us,”  said  Luther,  “and 
to  whom  Christ  is  everything  all  else  is  nothing.  He  is  made 
unto  us  wisdom  and  righteousness  and  sanctification  and 
redemption.  He  is  all  and  in  all.”  What  the  mighty  reformer 
felt,  the  first  great  missionary  to  India  felt.  “When  I am 
gone,”  said  the  dying  missionary,  “ say  nothing  about  William 
Carey.  Speak  only  of  William  Carey’s  Saviour.”  In  the  midst 
of  the  religious  agitations  of  his  day  Frederick  W.  Eobertson 
expressed  himself  as  follows : “ Of  one  thing  I have  become 
distinctly  conscious — that  my  motto  for  life,  my  whole  heart’s 
expression  is,  ‘ None  but  Christ.’  ” 

My  beloved  friend,  if  I know  your  life  or  the  chief  treasure 
of  your  heart  and  mind,  this  too  is  your  motto,  “None  but 
Christ.”  I bid  you  cling  to  it  with  increasing  tenacity.  I bid 
you  summon  all  the  graces  and  talents  of  your  being  to  exalt 
and  set  forth  Christ  as  the  perfect  revealer  of  God,  the  Saviour  of 
mankind,  the  moral  and  spiritual  leader  of  the  race,  the  supreme 
comforter  and  satisfier  of  the  human  heart,  and  the  one  effective 
hope  for  the  solution  of  the  world’s  chief  problems.  Whatever 


14 


good  you  may  find  in  other  religions,  whatever  of  value  they 
may  have  for  the  spiritual  development  of  the  race,  your  con- 
suming passion  will  be  to  point  out  in  glowing  and  convincing 
thought  the  pre-eminence  of  the  religion  of  Christ.  Make  it  to 
shine  as  the  sun  in  the  heaven  of  your  particular  field  of  work. 
Show  it  to  be,  what  it  is,  the  one  supremely  adequate,  complete 
and  universal  religion  for  the  redemjdion  of  mankind,  and  for 
the  promotion  of  love,  brotherhood,  righteousness  and  peace  in 
the  world. 

On  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  and  on  my  own  behalf 
as  your  friend  and  fellow,  I welcome  you  to  this  goodly  place 
and  to  this  comradeship  of  service.  May  your  life  be  one  of 
serenity  and  power,  filled  with  joy,  and  continually  sustained 
and  comforted  by  the  divine  companionship. 


IV 


THE  INAUGURAL  ADDRESS 

BY  THE 

Rev.  Professor  Robert  Ernest  Hume,  Ph.D. 


WILL  JESUS  CHRIST  SATISFY  THE 
RELIGIOUS  NEEDS  OF  THE  WORLD? 


As  I stand  and  speak  for  the  first  time  within  the  house  of 
worship  in  this  institution  of  sacred  learning,  I would  make  my 
_ first  utterance  an  expression  of  personal  devo- 

ersona  ^on  to  God, — the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
es  imonj . jegus  my  God  and  Father,  Who  hath 

brought  me  to  this  hour. 

In  looking  back  over  my  past  life  I feel  humbled,  yet  inspired, 
as  I recognize  the  Providence  of  a preparing  God.  My  course 
of  theological  studies  here  was  intercepted  by  the  priceless 
privilege  of  travelling  companionship  for  a year  with  the  revered 
President  Charles  Cuthbert  Hall,  when  he  went  as  Barrows 
Lecturer  on  Christianity  to  the  University  centers  of  India  and 
Japan.  It  was  the  same  loving  Providence  continuing  to  give 
me  a rich  preparation  for  this  my  future  work  in  America,  that 
led  me  for  a term  of  years  as  a Christian  missionary  to  India. 
In  that  distant  country  I had  the  privilege  of  further  associa- 
tion with  the  honored  Professor  George  William  Knox,  when 
he  too  went  to  the  East  as  special  lecturer  on  Christianity  from 
Union  Seminary.  Now,  in  coming  back  to  my  beloved  Alma 
Mater,  I desire  to  testify  from  personal  and  missionary  expe- 
rience to  the  guidance  of  a loving  Heavenly  Father  and  to  the 
ability  of  Jesus  Christ  to  save.  And  as  I refer  to  the  two 
former  leaders  in  this  institution  with  whom  I have  had  the 
most  of  personal  connection,  I venture  to  call  attention  to  the 

15 


16 


special  significance  of  our  loss.  It  was  in  practical  obedience 
to  the  world-saviourhood  of  Jesus  Christ  that  Union  Seminary 
lost  its  last  Professor  of  the  “ Philosophy  and  History  of  Relig- 
ion and  Missions,”  and  also  its  last  President.  Dr.  Knox  died 
in  actual  service  on  the  foreign  mission  field.  Dr.  Hall  was  twice 
sent  as  an  eminent  ambassador  of  Christ  from  the  West  to  the 
East;  although  his  actual  decease  occurred  in  America,  yet  mani- 
festly to  his  friends  and — I know— consciously  to  himself,  he 
was  a living  sacrifice  to  the  cause  of  carrying  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  into  all  the  world.  Thus,  to  the  men  of  Union 
Seminary  whom  I have  the  privilege  of  addressing  today,  I 
bring  with  solemn  recollections,  yet  with  peculiar  satisfaction, 
an  inquiry  which  has  not  only  been  engaging  my  own  activities 
during  recent  years,  but  which  is  also  engaging  the  varied 
activities  of  this  great  Christian  institution,  viz,  ‘‘Will  Jesus 
Christ  satisfy  the  religious  needs  of  the  world  ? ” 

We  are  in  a different  position  from  the  early  disciples  of 
Jesus,  when  they  received  the  Last  Command  to  “ Go  into  all 

. , , , the  world,  and  oreach  the  Gospel  to 

The  special  problem  , „ . ,,,,  „ , 

r 1 every  creature  ” ; for  “ the  world  ” of 

am  me  10  their  knowledge  consisted  merely  of 

the  few  lands  lying  around  the  Mediterranean  Sea  in  the  now 
defunct  Roman  Empire.  Modern  Christians  are  confronted 
with  several  highly  organized  religions,  which  are  our  neighbors 
all  around  the  globe.  Some  of  these  religions  had  been  founded 
in  a remote  distance,  both  of  time  and  space,  from  Palestine. 
The  most  active  of  the  present  non-Christian  systems,  viz,  Islam, 
has  been  founded  since  the  time  of  Jesus  and  with  knowledge 
about  him.  Some  of  these  other  religions,  e.g.,  Hinduism  and 
Confucianism,  are  national  religions,  which  have  rendered  notable 
service  for  the  preservation  of  their  own  nation,  and  which 
question  the  serviceability  of  a foreign  religion.  Two  of  them, 
viz,  Buddhism  and  Islam,  contest  with  Christianity  the  claim  of 
being  the  one  only  universal  religion  for  the  entire  world;  and,  in 
substantiation  of  such  a claim,  they  have  actually  succeeded  in 
winning  whole  tribes  and  nations  whose  very  existence  was 
unknown  in  the  time  of  our  Lord.  Of  course  we  recognize  that 
not  every  person  living  within  nominally  Christian  lands,  nor 
even  every  professing  Christian,  has  been  a true  follower  of 


17 


Jesus  Christ.  We  know,  too,  that  within  organized  Christen- 
dom there  has  been  philosophical  scepticism  directed  against 
traditional  formulations  of  Christian  belief.  Furthermore,  the 
growing  acquaintance  of  the  West  with  the  East  during  recent 
times  has  brought  a certain  admirable  sympathy;  but  it  has 
also  brought — for  some  undiscriminating  persons — a strange 
provincialism,  which  holds  that  the  religions  of  the  East  are 
quite  sufficient  for  that  part  of  the  world,  while  Christians  may 
remain  content  with  themselves. 

In  this  complex  situation  a thorough  going  solution  of  the 
enormous  problem  which  I have  propounded  must  include  a 
sympathetically  discriminating  study  of  the  documentary  his- 
tory of  the  main  religions  of  the  world  and  also  of  the  political 
history  of  the  nations  which  those  religions  have  undertaken  to 
serve.  My  method  will  be  to  give  the  results  of  an  inductive 
study  of  certain  large  areas  of  historical  experiences  with  a 
special  view  to  determine,  with  some  scientific  accuracy, 11  What 
are  the  fundamental  religious  needs  of  the  world?  ” Then, from 
a comparative  estimate  of  the  successes  and  failures  of  the 
forms  of  satisfaction  which  have  been  offered  to  the  felt  relig- 
ious needs  by  the  different  religions,  I can  offer  important 
evidence  upon  some  of  the  essential  features  of  that  religion 
which  shall  be  adjudged  to  have  afforded  the  completest  satis- 
faction to  man’s  religious  needs.  Finally  I shall  present  an 
analysis  of  some  of  the  religious  satisfactions  which  are 
specifically  supplied  by  Jesus  Christ. 

A further  word  regarding  method : — I have  not  followed  the 
traditional  apologetic  method  of  inquiring  whether  Christianity 
is  true,  in  comparison  with  some  other  religions  which  therefore 
must  be  condemned  as  false.  Truth,  I believe,  is  proven  to  be 
true  when  it  is  shown  to  serve  satisfactorily  and  especially  in 
proportion  to  the  completeness  with  which  it  serves.  Eeligion 
is  needed  to  meet  the  various  religious  needs  of  men.  The 
highest  hope  for  any  particular  religion  is  that  it  may  serve 
man’s  religious  needs  more  satisfactorily  and  more  completely 
than  any  other  religion. 

Furthermore,  my  inquiry  is  not  propounded  in  the  form 
u Will  Christianity  satisfy  the  religious  needs  of  the  world  ? ” 
I am  confident  that  Christianity,  if  regarded  as  some  sort  of 


18 


system,  will  not  satisfy  the  world.  No  mere  system  can  satisfy 
the  living  needs  of  living  men.  As  Tennyson  has  put  it  in  “ In 
Memoriam  ”, 

“ Our  little  systems  have  their  day. 

They  have  their  day,  and  cease  to  be. 

They  are  but  broken  lights  of  Thee, 

And  Thou,  O Lord,  art  more  than  they.” 

Only  personality  will  supply  the  highest  satisfaction  to  the 
religious  needs  of  growing  persons.  Therefore  I have  framed 
my  inquiry  in  the  personal  form,  u Will  Jesus  Christ  satisfy 
the  religious  needs  of  the  world?”  I am  confident  that  he, 
and  no  one  else  and  nothing  else,  will  satisfy  the  profound 
religious  needs  of  mankind.  In  India  with  its  many  systems  of 
religion  it  was  my  special  care  to  extend  the  Christian  invita- 
tion for  a person  to  become  “a  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ” 
rather  than  to  become  “a  Christian”,  for  we  must  guard  this 
designation  of  personal  allegiance  from  being  narrowed  down  to 
designate  an  assenter  to  certain  intellectual  propositions,  or  a 
member  of  a certain  social  organization.  One  of  the  hearty 
satisfactions  which  I myself  have  bad  and  which  I desire  to 
report  in  this  country  is  that,  although  I have  heard  just  criti- 
cisms upon  “ Christianity  ” and  upon  “ Christians  ”,  I have 
never  heard  a Hindu  express  any  dissatisfaction  with  the 
character  of  Jesus  Christ. 

In  dealing  with  the  various  religions  of  which  I treat  it  is  the 
only  fair-  way  that  I should  employ  the  same  method  of  exposi- 
tion for  all.  Every  religion  in  the  world,  Christianity  included, 
has  undergone  remarkable,  sometimes  even  contradictory,  trans- 
formations. While  aware  that  all  these  religions  have  passed 
through  a long  course  of  theological,  ecclesiastical  and  sectarian 
variations,  yet  for  the  purpose  of  characterization  and  compari- 
son I have  gone  back  to  the  original  historical  sources  for  my 
selection  of  the  essential  features  of  each  religion. 

I proceed  first  to  a brief  description  and  estimation  of  the 
four  most  important  present-day  non-Christian  religions,  viz: 
Hinduism,  Buddhism,  Confucianism  and  Islam,  in  respect  of 
their  historical  origin,  their  religious  ideal,  their  religious  life, 
some  of  their  successful  satisfactions,  and  some  of  their  defec- 
tive satisfactions. 


19 


Hinduism  began  more  than  a millenium  before  the  Christian 
era  to  meet  the  religious  needs  of  the  new  society  which  was 

arising  in  India,  when  the  Aryans,  who 
m iiism.  . came  from  the  north  with  a simple 
its  listorica  origin.  nature.wor8j1jp>  extended  their  domin- 
ion over  the  earlier  animistic  Dravidian  peoples  and  gradually 
over  the  whole  peninsula  of  Hindustan.  The  religion  of  the 
conquerors  needed  to  be  sufficiently  elastic  to  include  all  the 
heterogeneous,  economic,  social  and  religious  elements  of  that 
growing  empire  of  the  Hindus.  Yet  it  needed  to  be  sufficiently 
rigid  to  give  a recognized  position  of  superiority  to  the  invading 
rulers,  priests  and  so-called  “ twice  born,”  and  also  a position 
of  religiously  sanctioned  subordination  to  all  the  serving  people. 
One  of  the  wonders  of  human  history  is,  how  those  early  Hindu 
thinkers  and  organizers  deepened  and  broadened  their  concep- 
tions of  the  individual  and  of  society  from  the  time  of  the  Rig 
Yeda.  so  as  to  yield  a comprehensive  unity  amid  a bewildering 


variety. 

During  its  long  subsequent  history  Hinduism  has  been 
able  in  a notable  degree  to  meet  the  practical  and  theoretical 
needs  of  organizing  the,  at  present,  two  hundred  and  seventeen 
million  Hindus  with  their  wide  varieties  of  religious  beliefs  and 
practices  so  as  to  bring  them  all  into  one  logically  articulated, 
imperially  ruling  religious  system. 

The  general  religious  ideal  of  Hinduism  consists  in  the 
hope  of  return  from  the  transitoriness  and  limitations  of  finite 
..  . individual  existence  into  the  bliss  of  union  with 
S *d  ^ej1°US  the  infinite  Supreme  Reality,  called  Brahma. 

The  Hindus  believe  that  out  of  Brahma  as  the 
original  source  have  emanated  in  orderly  arrangement  all  finite 
existence  up  through  the  four  main  castes  of  Indian  society, 
viz:  the  low-caste  Sudras,  the  artizan  Yaisyas,  the  warrior 
Kshatriyas,  and  the  priestly  Brahmans.  The  Hindus  conceive 
of  salvation  as  being,  in  particular,  an  escape  from  the  necessity 
of  repeated  mortal  births  in  material  re  incarnations  until  the 
exhaustion  of  their  so-called  karma  (or,  retribution  of  psychic 
deeds).  As  an  example  of  the  most  earnest  longings  of  the 
devout  Hindus,  I quote  a prayer  which  I myself  have  oft  heard 


20 


repeated  from  the  ancient  Sanskrit  Briliad  Aranyaka  Upaniskad 
(1.3.28) : 

asato  ma  sad  gamaya. 
tamaso  majyotir  gamaya. 
mrtyor  ma  ’ mrtarn  gamaya. 

That  is : 

“ Lead  me  from  the  unreal  to  the  real. 

Lead  me  from  darkness  to  the  light. 

Lead  me  from  death  to  the  immortal.” 


Its  religious 
life. 


The  religious  life  consists,  for  the  educated  Hindus,  of  medita- 
tion on  the  knowledge  of  Brahma  (jndna-mdrga).  For  the  more 
emotional  type  of  Hindus  there  is  allowed  the 
way  of  devotion,  or  mystical  communion  with 
the  divine  (bhahti-marga).  Hindus  of  a more 
practical  temperament  may  practise  the  way  of  religious  cere- 
monies ( Tcarma-marga ).  But  for  all  Hindus  the  only  obligatory 
form  of  the  religious  life  is  the  observance  of  the  duties  of 
their  present  caste-status,  in  the  hope  that  in  subsequent 
re  incarnations  they  may  rise  in  the  scale  of  existence  and  may 
finally  attain  unto  re-absorption  into  Brahma.  The  actual 
religious  life  of  the  Hindus  permits  of  any  and  every,  even 
apparently  contradictory,  religious  belief  and  practice  which 
may  be  congenial  to  the  individual  himself,  provided  it  can  be 
explained  in  harmony  with  the  general  theory  of  Hinduism  and 
does  not  break  caste.  For  example,  the  idolatry  of  the  ignorant 
masses  is  justified  on  the  ground  that  idols  may  be  regarded 
merely  as  local  material  manifestations  of  Brahma  and  as  aids 
to  attention  in  worship.  Again,  ascetism,  which  is  usually 
practised  for  the  selfish  purpose  of  acquiring  religious  merit, 
may  be  explained  as  a practical  device  for  a rapid  rejection  of 
all  the  temporary  material  attractions  which  really  distract 
one’s  soul  from  communion  with  the  serene  eternal  Brahma. 

This  Hindu  religion,  now  the  oldest  of  all  extant  organized 
religions,  has  succeeded  in  helping  to  keep  the  majority  of  the 
people  of  India  temperamentally  the  most 
markedly  religious  people  in  the  world. 
Sociologically,  Hinduism  has  succeeded  in 
helping  to  perpetuate  the  forms  of  their  religious  society  in  a 
notable  solidarity  through  thirty  centuries.  I would  note  as 


Some  successful 
satisfactions. 


21 


satisfying  to  the  needs,  not  only  of  the  Hindus,  but  also  of  the 
most  earnest  religious  seekers,  the  following  beliefs  of  Hindu- 
ism, viz.  a belief  in  one  unitary  Supreme  Reality,  lying  behind 
all  phenomenal  existence;  a belief  in  the  ideal  of  union  with 
that  Supreme  Reality,  as  being  the  supreme  goal  of  all  exist- 
ence ; a belief  in  the  continuance  of  every  soul  after  death,  with 
a sure  retribution  for  the  deeds  done  in  the  flesh;  a belief  in 
society  with  its  complex  structure  as  being  a divinely  instituted 
organism. 

Yet,  Hinduism  has  not  given  thorough  satisfaction  even  to  its 
own  adherents.  A long  line  of  earnest  Hindu  thinkers  and 
e i _ tlieistic  reformers,  from  Ramanuja,  Kabir, 

e e.t'  Guru  Nanak,  Tukaram,  down  to  the  modern 

sa  is  «ic  ions.  Somajes,  have  craved  a personal  God  in 

place  of  the  impersonal  Brahma  of  philosophical  Hinduism,  and 
a living  God  in  place  of  the  idols  of  popular  Hinduism.  Very 
few  educated  Hindu  gentlemen  today  find  any  personal  satis- 
faction in  idols,  although  they  may  complacently  tolerate  such 
worship  for  the  uneducated  women  and  common  people  who 
crave  a tangibly  present  deity.  Even  more  revolutionary  in 
modern  Hinduism  is  the  modern  movement  against  caste,  which 
theoretically  explains  the  differences  of  present  existence  by 
referring  them  back  into  an  entirely  unknown,  not  less 
inexplicable  past.  To  some  Hindus  their  religion  gives  special 
satisfaction  in  that  it  allows  people  of  all  temperaments  to 
continue  with  their  favorite  social  practices  and  religious 
beliefs,  unhindered  by  any  high  moral  demands. 

But  to  the  best  Hindus  such  non-progressiveness  and  non- 
morality, not  to  say  immobility  and  immorality,  appear  as  a 
serious  defect  rather  than  as  a satisfaction.  To  outsiders  also 
traditional  Hinduism  appears  woefully  defective  in  providing 
no  satisfaction  for  a number  of  insistent  needs  of  modern 
progress,  e.  g.,  an  obligatory  standard  of  the  highest  moral 
character  for  all  persons,  the  possibility  of  a relatively  prompt 
retrieving  of  past  evils,  a hopeful  sense  of  continuous  personal 
responsibility,  a stirring  incentive  to  individual  initiative,  a 
stewardship  of  gracious  social  service,  an  opportunity  for 
present  advancement  in  the  social  scale,  a still  unattained  ideal 
for  individuals  and  society  in  India,  and  honorable  intercourse 


22 


with  the  rest  of  the  world  who  have  not  been  born  into  any 
Hindu  caste.  These  are  religious  needs,  none  of  which  are  pro- 
vided for  by  any  orthodox  form  of  Hinduism. 


Buddhism  arose  in  the  person  of  Gautama,  Prince  Siddhartha, 
who  was  born  in  iforth  India  about  the  year  560  B.  C.  That 
__  deeply  religious  Hindu  was  so  sorely 

11^m  * . . dissatisfied  with  most  of  the  current 
its  historical  origin.  ^ • e i -a  , . , , 

a Hinduism  ot  his  day,  particularly 

with  the  Yedas,  the  excessive  priest-craft,  the  ceremonialism, 

the  idolatry,  the  caste-exclusiveness  and  the  animal  sacrifices, 

that  he  felt  driven  to  seek  some  new  solution  of  the  particular 

problem  which  pressed  upon  him,  viz.,  how  to  extinguish  the 

misery  of  existence.  After  resigning  his  kingdom,  and  after 

seven  years  of  searching  and  self-discipline  in  the  best  that 

current  Hinduism  could  offer,  the  almost  hopeless  ascetic  felt 

that  he  had  become  the  Buddha  (i.  e.,  the  Enlightened  One) 

when  he  discovered  a new  principle  of  salvation,  viz.,  that  the 

causation  of  misery  is  within,  not  outside,  one’s  own  self. 

The  Buddhist  ideal  of  salvation,  expressed  in  contrast  with 
the  Hinduism  against  which  it  arose  as  a protest,  consists,  not 
Its  reli  i us  *n  any  intellective  speculations,  nor  in  any  emo- 
ideal  tional  excitations,  nor  in  any  ceremonial  per- 
formances, for  the  sake  of  re-absorption  into 
some  supposed  Supreme  Reality.  Salvation,  according  to 
Buddhism,  consists  in  the  simple  practical  suppression  of  those 
restless  desires  arising  within  the  human  heart  which,  in  remain- 
ing unavoidably  unsatisfied,  torment  a person  with  misery,  and 
especially  which,  in  prompting  to  action,  protract  that  process  of 
karma  (or,  psychical  retribution)  which  leads  to  miserable  mun- 
dane rebirths. 

Temperamentally  Buddha  was  more  kind  than  was  demanded 
by,  or  even  than  was  consistent  with,  the  logic  of  his  new  prin- 
ciple of  salvation ; for,  his  repressive  ideal,  if  strictly  carried 
out,  would  require  inactivity  and  the  renunciation  of  every 
desire,  even  the  desire  to  share  his  discovery  with  his  fellow 
men.  However,  the  compassionate  Budda,  being  nobler  than 
his  creed,  went  forth  actively  to  preach  unto  all  mankind  the 
satisfaction  which  he  himself  had  received  through  this  gospel 


of  release  from  misery  through  the  method  of  psychieal  annihil- 
ation of  the  rebellious  ego. 

The  religious  life  of  the  strict  Buddhist  consists  in  complete 
self-conquest  through  the  quenching  of  all  desires,  except  that, 

, ...  in  so  far  as  the  exigencies  of  associate  human 

Its  religious 

life. 


a certain  amount  of 


Some  successful 
satisfactions. 


life  do  usually  require 

intercourse  with  man  and  beast,  the  devout 
Buddhist  should  live  virtuously  and  should  practice  general 
benevolence,  or — more  precisely — a negative  inoffensiveness, 
towards  all  living  creatures, 

Not  less  than  one  hundred  and  thirty  million  human  beings 
today  are  the  professed  followers  of  that  resigned  and  pitying 
Buddha  who  himself  made  the  complete 
renunciation  and  who  proclaimed  for  all 
mankind  the  satisfyingness  of  self-con- 
quest and  impersonal  kindliness. 

For  a time  Buddhism  was  the  state  religion  of  Asoka  and 
other  great  kings  in  India.  But  after  a thousand  years  it 
passed  away  almost  entirely  from  the  land  of  its  birth,  and  has 
been  giving  its  quietistic  satisfactions  in  the  lands  farther  east. 
However,  Buddhism  left  a distinctly  humanizing  effect  upon 
the  more  formal  Hinduism  against  which  it  had  protested. 
Moreover  Buddhism  has  been  the  force  which  has  supplied  the 
content  of  a term  which  we  ourselves  use  with  much  more  than 
its  primary  meaning;  ‘‘the  East”  is  more  than  a geographical 
term  for  us,  because  the  Buddhist  religion  has  created  a sense 
of  human  unity  and  a certain  common  ideal  of  life  among  the 
peoples  of  India  and  China  and  Japan,  great  separate  nations 
whose  indigenous  national  religions  tend  to  accentuate  their 
natural  historical  and  geographical  seclusiveness. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  history  of  Buddhism  has  pathetically 
evinced  the  vitality  of  certain  deep  religious  needs  of  humanity 
which  Buddha  not  only  failed  to  satisfy  but 
which  he  distinctly  attempted  to  suppress. 
Noteworthy  is  it  that,  although  Buddha 
ignored  the  existence  of  any  deity,  whether  one  or  many  in 
number,  yet  his  followers  have  not  been  satisfied  with  his 
practical  atheism.  Buddhists  now  have  either  relapsed  into 
the  worship  of  all  sorts  of  demons,  idols  and  nature-deities ; or 


Some  defective 
satisfactions. 


24 


else  Buddhists  have  developed  a metaphysical  deity,  apotheos- 
izing Buddha  himself  and  worshipping  the  noblest  human  being 
whom  they  have  ever  known.  Again,  Buddha  rejected  the 
possibility  of  prayer  when  he  denied  the  existence  of  any 
available  superior  Being  to  whom  a human  being  might  pray. 
Yet  now  Buddhists  have  everywhere  recovered  the  practice  of 
prayer,  albeit  sometimes  in  a most  mechanical  manner.  No 
large  permanent  good  can  result  from  a religious  ideal  which  is 
so  individualistic  and  selfish ; for,  even  the  prescribed  kindli- 
ness is  intended  for  the  sole  benefit  of  the  doer  himself,  and  the 
true  Buddhist  has  no  genuine  regard  for  the  worth  of  any 
person  or  thing  except  his  own  supposed  salvation.  The  sub- 
sequent theological  developments  within  Buddhism  indicate  vig- 
orous dissatisfaction  with  the  teaching  of  Buddha  in  his  denial 
of  all  genuine  personality,  viz.,  that  there  does  not  now  exist 
any  deity  who  can  render  help  in  man’s  religious  struggle,  nor 
in  the  course  of  time  will  there  exist  any  human  being  who  will 
be  enjoying  benefit  from  this  religion.  Furthermore,  the  mod- 
ern world,  which  is  striving  for  varied  and  continuous  improve- 
ment, will  not  find  satisfaction  in  such  a pessimistic  theory, 
which  teaches  the  utter  worthlessness  of  all  existence,  and 
which  offers  as  the  goal  of  human  hope  a Nirvana  which  is 
practically  indistinguishable  from  annihilation. 


Confucianism  : 
its  historical  origin. 


Confucianism  arose  in  the  person  of  Confucius,  who  was  born 
in  China  in  the  year  551  B.C.  The  historical  situation  in  which 

that  religion  was  founded  is  described 
by  Mencius  (the  most  influential  ex- 
pounder of  the  great  Chinese  sage) 
as  follows:  “The  world  had  fallen  into  decay,  and  right 

principles  had  disappeared.  Perverse  discourses  and  oppres- 
sive deeds  were  rife.  Ministers  murdered  their  rulers,  and  sons 
their  fathers.  Confucius  was  frightened  by  what  he  saw,  and 
undertook  a work  of  reformation.” 

As  his  ideal  the  patriotic  reformer  endeavored  to  revive  the 
best  social  condition  which  he  could  find  in  the  previous  history 
of  his  nation,  and  to  establish  Chinese  society 
upon  a religious  basis.  Thus  the  ideal  of  Con- 
fucianism may  be  summarized  as  “ an  ordered 
human  society  under  Heaven.” 


Its  religious 
ideal. 


25 


One  time  a disciple  inquired  of  Confucius  “ Is  there  any  one 
word  which  could  be  adopted  as  a life-long  rule  of  conduct  ! ” 
The  Master  replied,  himself  questioningly,  “ Is 
Its  religious  nQt  tjiat  wor(j  ‘reciprocity’!”  Thus  the 

^e*  highest  of  the  wise  maxims  of  Confucianism 
is  the  negative  form  of  the  Christian  Golden  Rule,  “ Do  not 
unto  others  what  you  wish  not  for  yourself”  (Analects  of 
Confucius,  15:23).  The  practical  religious  life  of  Confucian- 
ism consists  in  the  application  of  this  general  principle  of 
reciprocity,  or  propriety,  to  each  of  the  five  possible  human 
relationships,  viz.  ruler  and  ruled,  parent  and  child,  husband 
and  wife,  elder  and  younger  brethren,  and  friend  and  friend. 
In  the  case  of  the  only  other  conceivable  personal  relationship, 
viz.  with  Heaven,  the  observance  of  the  required  propriety  is 
logically  assigned  to  the  one  human  being  who  alone  stands 
within  that  relationship,  viz.  the  Emperor  as  the  head  of  the 
Chinese  nation.  Otherwise  Confucius  provided  for  no  religious 
worship,  except  the  reverence  of  ancestors ; these,  though 
deceased,  are  regarded  as  still  existing  and  closely  connected 
with  the  living  family. 

On  this  simple  basis  Confucius  has  given  to  his  nation  the 
great  satisfaction  of  having  helped  to  maintain  for  almost 
twenty-five  centuries  a fairly  high  degree  of 
civilization,  morality,  peace  and  order  in 
China.  Confucianism  has  accomplished  this 
achievement  through  its  genuine  religious  confidence  in  the 
essential  goodness  of  human  nature,  which  of  course  needs 
education  and  moral  instruction,  and,  too,  through  its  genuine 
religious  confidence  in  the  power  and  stability  of  the  family 
through  the  continued  influence  of  the  spirits  of  all  the  past 
generations. 

But  the  history  of  Confucianism,  like  the  history  of  Buddhism, 
has  evinced  the  remarkable  vitality  of  man’s  deep  unquench- 
able craving  for  a personal  God.  In  the 
interests  of  a practical  morality  and  to  avoid 
the  possible  vagaries  of  religious  specula- 
tions, both  Buddha  and  Confucius  had  insisted  that  true 
religion  consists,  not  in  theorizing  about  some  unseen  and 
largely  unknown  Supreme  Being,  but  in  the  exercise  of  practical 


Some  successful 
satisfactions. 


Some  defective 
satisfactions. 


26 


virtues  in  the  ordinary  relationships  of  life.  Nevertheless,  it  is 
notable  that  Confucianists  have  not  been  satisfied  with  the 
practical  atheism  of  their  great  founder.  While  Heaven  has 
been  worshipped  only  once  a year  (viz.  at  the  mid-winter 
solstice)  by  the  Emperor  alone,  there  now  stands  in  every  city 
in  China  a temple  to  Confucius  himself,  who  is  worshipped  by 
all  the  people,  even  by  the  Emperor.  Two  years  ago  the 
only  direct  connection  with  Heaven  which  had  been  recognized 
in  Confucianism  became  broken,  when  the  Emperor  of  China 
abdicated  his  ancestral  religious  position  through  the  force 
of  a political  revolution.  Last  winter  Confucianism  was  pro- 
claimed as  the  state  religion  of  the  new  Chinese  Eepublic. 
It  remains  to  be  determined  whether  the  elected  President  of 
the  people  may  assume  to  continue  to  perform  for  the  benefit  of 
his  nation  the  sacred  rites  which  previously  had  been  performed 
only  by  the  hereditary  “ Son  of  Heaven.”  In  the  total  modern 
situation  in  China  there  exist  many  new  complicated  relation- 
ships, both  individual,  national  and  international,  for  which 
Confucius  has  provided  no  satisfaction  in  his  patriotic  social 
religion.  The  changing  Chinese  have  acquired  ideals  of  progress 
and  of  world-intercourse  which  transcend  the  zenith  of  antique 
Chinese  civilization  that  formed  the  ideal  of  their  great  retro- 
spective reformer.  How  can  the  new,  as  well  as  the  old, 
religious  needs  of  two  hundred  and  forty  million  Confucianists 
best  be  satisfied  "?  Only  by  a religion  which  possesses  an  ideal 
higher  and  more  complete  than  the  ideal  of  Confucius. 

Islam  is  the  last  of  the  four  non-Christian  religions  which  I 
undertake  to  examine  today.  In  point  of  time  it  is  the  only 

organized  religion  which  has  been 
Islam  . . . founded  later  than  Christianity,  and 

its  historica  oiigm.  ^is  youngest  of  the  world-religions 
has  proven  itself  the  most  vigorous  competitor  of  Christianity 
in  the  claim  of  being  the  one  final  religion  for  the  whole  world. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  571  in  the  city  of  Mecca  was  born  a 
man  who  became  so  dissatisfied  with  the  gross  idolatry,  poly- 
theism and  immorality  of  the  warring  Arab  tribes  that  he 
sought  for  a purer  religion.  Neither  the  narrow  Judaism  of 
not  distant  Palestine  nor  the  degraded  Christianity  of  the 


27 


Syrian  Church  satisfied  the  soul  of  that  earnest  religious 
seeker.  After  continued  searching,  fasting  and  prayer  in  a 
cave  on  Mount  Ilira  Muhammad  received  what  he  believed  to 
be  a divine  revelation  of  religious  truth  and  also  a divine  com- 
mand to  go  forth  and  preach  that  truth.  One  of  the  stirring 
movements  of  the  world’s  history  is,  how  at  the  bidding  of  that 
former  common  tradesman,  who  became  literally  “ en  thused  ” 
as  a messenger  of  the  Almighty,  tens  of  thousands  of  bigotted 
Arab  tribesmen  abandoned  their  sacred  ties  of  blood-relationship, 
their  ancestral  polytheistic  faith,  their  gambling,  alcoholic 
drinking  and  other  evil  practices,  and  how  those  immediate 
followers  of  Muhammad  have  now  become  two  hundred  and 
five  million  in  number.  Eager  to  conquer  the  world  in  their 
religious  zeal,  they  still  proclaim,  as  is  called  out  in  Arabic  five 
times  a day  from  the  minaret  of  every  Muhammadan  mosque  in 
Arabia,  Turkey,  Persia,  India,  China.  Africa,  and  even  London, 
the  Arabic  formula,  uLa  ilali  ill ’ Allah , tea  Muhammad  rasTil 
TJllah ,”  i.e.,  “There  is  no  God  but  Allah,  and  Muhammad  is 
His  Apostle.” 

Islam  has  attained  its  remarkable  extension  in  the  world 
through  the  power  of  its  simple  religious  ideal  under  the 
^ enthusiasm  of  loyalty  to  the  mighty  Prophet  of 
S id  af 10US  ^ra^a'  Other  people  often  use  his  name  in 
the  designation  of  his  religion  as  “Muhammad- 
anism.” But  Muhammad  himself  stamped  the  ideal  of  that 
religion  into  the  very  name  which  he  used  for  it,  viz.  “Islam”, 
the  Arabic  word  which  means  “ submission  ” to  the  one 
supreme  God. 

The  religious  life  of  the  Moslem,  i.e.,  “those  who  have 
become  submitted  ”,  consists  in  martial  devotion  to  the  will  and 
...  cause  of  Allah  as  revealed  through  Muhammad, 
S r^fJ*10T1S  His  latest  and  chiefest  prophet.  It  involves 
prescribed  prayers  and  the  stated  observance 
of  other  definite  religious  commands,  like  fasting  and  alms- 
giving. Although  Islam  has  been  chiefly  legalistic  in  its  rela- 
tion to  the  legislator  Muhammad  and  to  its  Law-book  the 
Qu’ran,  yet  during  the  course  of  its  history  Islam  has  also 
developed  some  striking  phases  of  mysticism. 


28 


Some  successful 
satisfactions. 


Some  defective 
satisfactions. 


Notably  successful  in  Islam  has  been  the  empowering  satis- 
faction which  is  afforded  by  a monotheistic  faith  with  whole- 
hearted devotion  to  the  will  of  one  supreme 
God,  Who  is  believed  to  control  all  the 
lives  of  men,  and  Who  calls  upon  all  men 
to  co-operate  in  the  fellowship  of  that  great  historic  personality, 
the  devoted  Muhammad,  for  a world  wide  establishment  of  the 
kingdom  of  faith  and  devotion.  From  the  middle  of  the  eighth 
to  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century  Moslems  were  more  pro- 
gressive in  civilization  than  were  the  contemporary  Christians 
of  Europe.  And  today  some  African  tribes  who  have  been  con- 
verted to  Islam  have  been  lifted  to  a higher  stage  of  civilization. 

Yet  Islam  has,  on  the  whole,  manifested  the  general  unpro- 
gressiveness  which  is  an  appropriate  product  of  a religious 
faith  wherein  force  is  regarded  as  the  chief 
characteristic  of  an  arbitrary  God,  and 
wherein  force  is  correspondingly  the  cri- 
terion of  the  value  of  any  individual  or  nation.  I see  no 
incentive  in  the  character  or  in  the  teachings  of  Muhammad  to 
a continuous  spiritual  culture  of  the  highest  standard.  It  is  a 
fact  that  the  Sufi  sect  of  the  Muhammadans  has  developed  a 
theory  of  the  love  of  God  for  man ; but  such  a theory  is  not  to 
be  found  in  the  Qu’ran.  The  characteristic  Muhammadan  belief 
in  the  sovereignty  of  Allah  has  unquestionably  stirred  religious 
zeal,  but  the  practical  effect  of  its  belief  in  kismet  (fate)  has 
produced  more  of  indolence  and  of  recklessness  than  of  pur- 
poseful progress.  Even  the  morality  which  is  taught  in  Islam 
is  not  regarded  as  an  essential  part  of  the  ideal  either  of  God 
or  man,  therefore  it  tends  to  become  largely  formal.  Further- 
more, Muhammad  failed  to  provide  any  redemption  for  the  indi- 
vidual, or  any  sanctity  for  the  home,  or  any  mutual  helpfulness 
in  human  society.  But  these  are  religious  ideals  which  are 
necessary  for  the  regeneration  of  mankind. 

Thus  I have  attempted  to  review  in  outline  four  great  world- 
religions  with  special  attention  to  perennial  religious  needs,  in 

so  far  as  these  have  articulated 


The  need  of  higher  and 


themselves  in  the  important  non- 


completer  satisfactions.  chrUtian  reli?ion8.  1 have  als0 
undertaken  to  point  out  how  these  religions  have  brought  a 


29 


certain  amount  of  successful  satisfaction  to  the  felt  religious 
needs  of  their  respective  peoples.  Yet  those  religions  appear, 
at  best,  to  be  limited  by  serious  defects.  Furthermore  there 
exist  other  religious  needs,  especially  in  the  higher  moral  and 
spiritual  potencies,  which  are  not  provided  with  definite  satis- 
faction in  the  non-Christian  religions.  Finally,  it  is  my  convic- 
tion that  all  the  legitimate  religious  needs  of  men,  both  those 
which  are  found  in  the  non-Christian  religions  and  the  others 
which  require  higher  satisfactions,  do  receive  their  completest 
satisfaction  in  Jesus  Christ.  Next,  therefore,  I briefly  state 
what  I understand  to  be  the  essential  features  of  the  religion 
of  Jesus. 

Our  Lord  himself  never  formulated  an  itemized  system  of 
religion.  He  did  far  better  than  that.  He  always  talked,  and 


have  it  more  abundantly.”  However,  on  one  occasion  a certain 
Jewish  lawyer  with  an  analytic  systematizing  type  of  mind  put 
to  Jesus  a question  which  comes  close  to  the  searching  question 
which  I myself  would  put  in  the  present  connection,  viz.: 
u TYliat  are  the  highest  ideals  of  religion  1 ” The  reply  given 
by  Jesus  to  the  precise  inquiry  which  was  put  to  him  was  with 
reference  to  the  religion  of  the  Old  Testament.  However,  that 
statement  by  Jesus  may  legitimately  be  understood  as  repre- 
senting his  own  position  on  religion.  I paraphrase  it  as  fol- 
lows : “ The  sum  and  substance  of  religious  duties  is  included 

in  two  commandments,  viz. : ‘ Love  God  supremely ? and  1 Love 
fellow  men  unselfishly.  ’ ” It  would  hardly  be  sufficient  for  us 
to  claim  that  those  commandments  summarize  the  whole  of  the 
religion  which  we  have  derived  from  Jesus  Christ,  for  the 
reason  that  his  religion  is  an  evangel  of  grace  rather  than  a 
republication  of  law,  even  though  the  ethics  of  the  Christian 
Gospel  be  stated  in  the  form  of  a commandment  to  exercise 
love.  None  the  less,  I understand  that  in  this  statement  Jesus 
has  given  the  practical  application  of  what  are  two  essential 
principles  of  his  religion,  viz.  the  fatherhood  of  God  and  the 
brotherhood  of  man. 


The  essentials  of 
the  religion 
of  Jesus  Christ. 


conducted  himself,  on  the  basis  that  he 
had  come  from  the  one  holy  God  to  serve 
all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men,  “ that 
they  might  have  life,  and  that  they  might 


30 


But  modern  inquirers  are  in  a position  to  appreciate  much 
more  than  the  specific  teaching  of  Jesus.  We  are  in  a position 
to  appreciate  his  whole  life  and  death  and  continued  influence. 
Accordingly,  there  is  a further  important  factor  in  the  definition 
which  we  have  to  give  of  Christianity,  viz.  Jesus  Christ  himself. 
Those  two  commandments,  which  he  quoted  verbatim  from  the 
Old  Testament,  had  been  known  for  many  centuries;  yet  no 
appropriate  religion  had  been  developed  from  them.  It  is  the 
personality  of  Jesus  which  constitutes  the  uniqueness  of  the 
Christian  religion.  It  was  he  who  for  the  first  time  fully 
realized  in  human  life  those  principles  which  had  been  stated 
previously  in  theory.  It  is  Jesus  who  by  his  entire  career  has 
given  to  the  general  ideas  of  “the  fatherhood  of  God”  and 
“ the  brotherhood  of  man  ” a concreteness  and  a wealth  of 
meaning  which  the  two  summary  commandments  of  an  ideal 
religion  had  never  before  possessed.  It  is  his  life  of  intimate 
sonship  with  God  which  now  enables  us  to  realize  both  the 
actual  character  of  God  and  also  the  potential  possibilities  of 
character  of  all  God’s  human  children.  It  is  the  cross  of  Christ 
which  marks  the  acme  of  his  character,  his  public  ministry  and 
his  unceasing  service  unto  men ; for,  the  apparent  defeat  of  the 
cross  shows  the  extent  to  which  divine  love  can  venture  to 
sacrifice  itself  in  order  to  serve,  while  the  subsequent  efficacy 
of  the  cross  shows  the  extent  to  which  such  venturesome 
righteous  love  can  succeed  in  winning  men  from  a life  of  sin 
and  hate  into  a life  of  at  one  ment  with  the  holy  God. 

Human  beings  have  not  been  ignorant  that  there  exists  a 
supreme  God,  that  men  are  related  to  Him,  and  that  through 
Him  they  are  also  related  to  one  another.  Human  beings  have 
not  lacked  a deep  discontent  that,  in  spite  of  the  overruling 
God,  everything  is  not  right  in  the  world,  and  especially  that 
they  themselves  are  not  right  with  God  or  with  one  another. 
Jesus  did  not  need  to  impart  any  such  simple  religious  informa- 
tion. His  teaching  was  rather  concerning  what  kind  of  a God 
there  is,  and  how  we  human  beings  are  related  to  Him  and  to 
one  another,  and  how  we  may  become  right  with  Him.  If  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  concerning  God  and  man  and  salvation  can 
be  condensed  into  one  word,  that  word  is  LOVE. 

Wonderful  teacher  as  Jesus  was,  more  wonderful  still  was 
his  example.  He  did  not  merely  direct  men  off  to  some  lofty 


31 


ideal,  which  we  all  must  admit  has  never  been  attained,  either 
previously  or  subsequently.  But  Jesus  himself  lived  out  in 
life  the  principles  which  he  taught.  In  his  owu  character  and 
conduct,  more  clearly  even  than  in  his  words,  men  have  seen 
the  perfect  God  and  the  ideal  man. 

Yet,  granted  that  Jesus  is  the  supreme  teacher  of  religion, 
and  granted  that  his  example  is  the  paragon  of  virtue,  even 
these  confessions  might  become  discouraging.  By  reason  of 
the  increased  contrast  with  Jesus,  feeble,  sinful  humanity  might 
seem  to  become  the  more  incapable  of  rising  to  the  heights  of 
such  unparalleled  sublimity.  More  wonderful  than  his  teach- 
ings and  more  wonderful  than  his  example  is  the  present  power 
of  Jesus  Christ  to  inspire  men  and  women  and  children  into  a 
better  kind  of  living.  Out  of  the  life  and  work  of  Jesus  there 
issues  a dynamic  which  is  able  to  effect  a moral  and  spiritual 
renewal  of  a human  being  toward  a higher  ideal  of  character. 
A convicted  Hindu,  who  later  became  entirely  changed  in  char- 
acter through  the  influence  of  Jesus,  expressed  to  me  his  new 
Christian  faith  just  as  he  was  coming  out  of  jail  as  follows: 
“ People  generally  will  have  no  use  for  me.  Indeed,  I have  no 
more  use  for  myself.  But  somehow  I feel  that  Jesus  has  still 
some  use  for  me,  and  that  he  will  make  me  fit  for  a better  life.” 
If  I may  report  my  own  experience,  I would  say  that  it  is  not 
any  item  of  religious  information  nor  even  the  superior  example 
of  Jesus  which  affects  me  most  powerfully.  I cannot  fully 
explain  the  mystery.  But  I do  feel  that,  whatever  of  good 
there  is  in  me  is  in  proportion  as  the  spirit  of  Jesus  has  come 
into  my  spirit,  and  that  he  has  helped  to  transform  me  into  a 
character  that  is  far  better  than  what  it  was  ere  I entered 
through  him  into  a more  intimate  communion  with  our  Heav- 
enly Father. 

Accordingly,  in  proceeding  from  a brief  description  of  four 
great  non-Christian  religions  to  a definition  of  Christianity,  I 
would  say  that  the  essential  feature  of  the  Christian  religion  is: 
11  Jesus  Christ  himself,  in  that  he  has  actually  realized  in  life, 
and  is  still  helping  others  to  realize,  the  twofold  ideal  of  a life 
of  loving  devotion  with  the  holy  Father  God  and  a life  of  loving 
service  with  brother  men.”  On  this  as  the  basis  rest  whatever 
applications  may  be  called  characteristic  Christian  doctrines. 


32 


Xow  I am  in  a position  to  show  more  in  detail  how,  with 
these  as  the  essentials  of  his  religion,  Jesus  Christ  can  satisfy 
the  religious  needs  of  the  world. 

It  is  evident,  of  course,  that  the  religious  needs  of  the  world 
are  numerous  and  complex,  that  they  differ  in  details  according 

to  temperaments  and  capabilities, 
and  that  they  are  both  formulated 
in  consciousness  and  satisfied  in 
experience  according  to  the  stage 
of  general  cultural  development  and  the  particular  conditions 
of  the  individual  and  of  the  nation.  However,  I venture  to 
generalize  and  say,  among  the  non-Christian  religions  there  are 
to  be  found  five  religious  principles  which  mark  the  highest  of 
the  beliefs  of  those  religions.  These,  therefore,  indicate  some 
of  the  satisfactions  which  must  be  given  to  the  widely  mani- 
fested religious  needs  of  mankind  by  whatever  religion  shall 
finally  succeed  in  having  established  itself  as  actually  universal 
in  the  world.  I do  not  find  all  of  these  following  five  beliefs  in 
any  single  one  of  the  non-Christian  religions.  But  I do  find 
them  existing  within  this  group  of  non-Christian  religions.  And 
I also  find  them  taught  by  Jesus  Christ  to  a higher  degree. 

1.  In  some  non-Christian  religions  and  also  in  the  religion  of 
Jesus  there  is  a belief  in  one  supreme  God,  to  Whom  the  highest 
devotion,  worship  and  prayer  are  due.  This  ideal  is  frankly 
repudiated  in  the  atheistic  Buddhism  of  Buddha.  In  the  Con- 
fucianism of  Confucius  it  is  recognized  for  practical  use  only 
for  one  person,  viz.  the  Emperor  of  China.  It  is  avowed,  but 
with  very  different  meanings,  in  Hinduism  and  Islam.  The 
monotheistic  belief  is  developed  by  Jesus  with  the  fullest  con- 
tent of  personality  and  morality. 

2.  In  some  non-Christian  religions  and  also  in  the  religion  of 
Jesus  there  is  a belief  in  ordered  human  society,  as  having  been 
divinely  instituted,  and  as  needing  to  be  maintained  above  the 
interests  of  all  human  individuals.  Hinduism  applies  this  ideal 
vigorously,  but  exclusively,  to  the  mutually  exclusive  castes 
of  Hindus.  Confucianism  also  applies  it,  but  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  hereditary  family  and  to  the  particular  nation.  In 
Buddhism  the  only  sacred  human  society  is  the  narrow  “Order” 
of  Buddhist  ascetics.  In  Islam,  the  one  other  professedly  uni- 


Five  satisfactions  given 
by  Jesus  in  common 
with  other  religions. 


33 


versal  religion,  the  ideal  of  a common  sacredness  of  humanity  is 
applied  to  the  body  of  believers  as  a whole,  all  other  human 
society  deserving  to  be  destroyed.  Jesus  Christ  insists  on  the 
divinely  ordained  sacredness  of  human  society  both  in  the  individ- 
ual and  in  the  family,  both  in  the  nation  and  in  the  wider  range  of 
a brotherhood  of  humanity,  all  to  be  protected  as  under  God. 

3.  In  some  non-Christian  religions  and  also  in  the  religion  of 
Jesus  there  is  a belief  in  the  universality  of  a common  religion. 
This  ideal  is  frankly  repudiated  in  Hinduism.  It  is  entirely 
ignored  in  Confucianism,  although  the  practical  ethics  of  that 
religion  have  subsequently  been  taken  over  from  China  into 
Japan.  Both  Buddhism  and  Islam  boldly  claim  to  be  a uni- 
versal religion.  Yet  both  of  them  exclude  a half  of  their  own 
population,  viz.,  womankind,  from  participation  in  all  the  obliga- 
tions and  privileges  of  that  particular  religion ; while  toward 
all  unbelieving  outsiders  Islam  encourages  a forcefully  domineer- 
ing attitude.  In  this  difficult  matter  of  relationship  toward 
others,  many  Christians  have  come  far  short  of  the  ideal  of 
Jesus.  Such  delinquency  stands  out  in  sharp  clearness  with 
the  principle  of  a universal  religion  of  love  which  Jesus  taught, 
viz.,  that  all  men  and  women  are  in  common  the  children  of  the 
loving  Father  of  the  spirits  of  all  mankind.  In  spite  of  the 
fact  that  all  persons  do  not  yet  realize  their  spiritual  brother- 
hood, yea  with  special  recognition  of  the  fact  that  they  all 
do  not  realize  their  spiritual  brotherhood,  Jesus  taught  that  it 
is  the  duty  and  privilege  of  the  Christians  who  have  entered 
into  a realization  of  “ the  fatherhood  of  God  ” to  endeavor  to 
establish  “the  brotherhood  of  man”  through  varied  loving 
sendee  in  the  religious  faith  of  one  ideal  family  of  God. 

4.  In  some  non-Christian  religions  and  also  in  the  religion  of 
Jesus  there  is  a hope  for  each  human  individual  to  advance 
after  death  into  a permanently  better  condition  of  personal  life. 
No  organized  religion  teaches  that  the  human  soul  becomes 
extinct  at  physical  death.  But  the  various  religions  differ  con- 
siderably on  the  nature  of  that  hoped-for  future  life.  Hinduism 
sees  in  the  immediate  future  for  most  people  a not  very  different 
repeated  earthly  existence,  although  ultimately  existence  will 
become  immaterial  and  impersonal.  The  usual  eschatological 
hope  in  Islam  is  for  a quasi-material,  sensuously  conceived 


34 


heaven.  Confucianism  posits  only  the  continuance  of  the  indi- 
vidual in  some  vague  spirit-realm  in  not  distant  connection  with 
earthly  posterity.  Primitive  Buddhism  hopes  that  the  final 
highest  good  is  the  cessation  of  all  known  personal  life.  Jesus 
Christ  offered  to  all  persons  who  qualify  themselves  the  hope  of 
entrance  after  death  into  the  eternal  Father’s  heavenly  home. 

5.  In  some  non-Christian  religions  and  also  in  the  religion  of 
Jesus  there  is  a practice  of  zealous  devotion  to  the  noblest 
person  known  in  religious  history,  who  is  also  regarded  as  being 
in  a unique  way  a divinely  human  person.  This  legitimate 
religious  craving  for  hero-worship  is  not  satisfied  by  any  one 
pre-eminent  figure,  although  approached  by  many  sectarian 
incarnations,  in  the  one  non-founded  religion,  Hinduism.  In 
the  three  personally  founded  religions,  viz.  Buddhism,  Confu- 
cianism and  Islam,  the  personal  devotion  is  powerfully  opera- 
tive toward  the  person  of  the  founder.  Although  the  Buddhism 
of  Buddha  is  avowedly  atheistic,  and  although  the  Confucianism 
of  Confucius  is  practically  atheistic,  yet  the  historical  founder 
of  both  those  religions  has  subsequently  become  apotheosized 
and  worshipped  almost  as  if  he  were  supreme  deity.  Jesus 
Christ  is  worshipped  by  his  followers  as  l<  Lord  ” because  in  him 
they  find  the  conscious  acme  of  human  leadership,  authority  and 
perfection  combined  with  the  supreme  manifestation  of  the 
supreme  holy  God. 

No  one  of  the  four  great  non-Christian  religions  meets  all  of 
these  fiye  high  religious  aspirations.  But  Jesus  Christ  does 
bring  satisfaction  to  them  all,  and  that,  too,  in  a higher  degree 
than  does  any  of  the  other  religions. 

In  addition  to  these  five  religious  needs,  which  are  partially 
satisfied  by  the  non-Christian  religions,  I find  five  other  still 


himself  has  most  markedly  helped  men  to  crave,  and  which  he 
alone  among  the  religious  leaders  of  the  world  will  help  most 
fully  to  satisfy. 

1.  One  distinctive  Christian  belief  is  the  ideal  of  God,  whose 
pre-eminent  religious  significance  lies  in  His  perfect  moral 


Five  still  higher 
satisfactions,  uniquely 
given  by  Jesus  Christ. 


higher  religious  satisfactions  which 
are  afforded  nowhere  else  than  by 
Jesus.  They  are  satisfactions  of 
religious  aspirations  which  Jesus 


35 


character.  Consequently  His  supremacy  lies  in  His  supremely 
holy  purposes,  rather  than  in  the  possession  of  almighty  power, 
or  than  in  any  merely  ontological  attributes.  His  blessedness, 
too,  lies  in  His  ability  and  His  love  for  service  unto  men,  rather 
than  in  any  secluded  quiescence,  or  than  in  dominion  over  the 
universe.  This  is  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

2.  Another  distinctive  Christian  belief  is  the  ideal  of  man 
as  being  pre-eminently  characterized  by  kinship  with  the  Father 
God  in  respect  of  the  same  godlike  moral  character.  This 
character  is  potential,  until  each  individual  realizes  it  by  reso- 
lute choice  and  by  constant  fellowship.  In  spite  of  the  divine 
heritage,  yea.  in  the  light  of  a divine  heritage,  the  fact  appears 
that  man  is  still  sinfully  deficient  in  respect  of  his  actual  moral 
character.  This  is  the  human  nature  which  Jesus  seeks  to  save 
into  the  character  of  conscious  fellowship  of  children  of  the 
Heavenly  Father. 

3.  Another  distinctive  Christian  satisfaction  is  the  experi- 
ence of  a wonderful  transformation  of  the  evils  of  man’s  char- 
acter and  condition  into  positive  good  through  divine  assistance 
rendered  to  each  individual.  Such  Christian  conversion  and 
continued  sanctification  are  accomplished  through  a process  of 
co-operation  between  man’s  awakened  conscience  and  an 
influence  which  he  gratefully  recognizes  as  grace  proceeding 
from  divine  initiative.  This  is  the  salvation  which  Jesus  brings 
to  all  his  true  disciples. 

4.  Another  distinctive  Christian  satisfaction  is  the  hope  of  a 
glorious  future,  opening  out  unlimitedly  both  before  the  indi- 
vidual and  before  human  society  as  a whole,  both  in  this  life 
and  after  death.  This  is  the  Kingdom  of  God,  wherein  God 
summons  all  men  to  a co-operation  with  Himself  in  loving  help- 
fulness with  our  brother  men  for  the  progressive  realization  of 
ideal  social  conditions. 

5.  Another  distinctive  Christian  satisfaction  is  the  fellowship 
of  a divinely  human  person,  who  within  the  ordinary  range  of 
human  experience  has  unsurpassedly  revealed  what  God  actually 
is  in  character  and  also  what  man  may  and  should  become.  This 
is  Jesus  Christ,  the  supreme  incarnation  of  a holy  God,  and  the 
realized  type  of  what  every  child  of  God  should  normally 
become. 


36 


Thus  in  some  detail  do  I find  that  Jesus  Christ  fulfills  all  the 
legitimate  religious  aspirations  which  have  manifested  them- 
selves in  large  areas  of  the  history  of  mankind.  I find  in 
addition  that  Jesus  Christ  has  developed  certain  other  religious 
aspirations,  cravings,  ideals,  needs,  which  are  characteristic  of 
the  higher  stages  of  religious  experience.  These  latter  are 
especially  noteworthy  evidences  of  the  unequalled  ability  of 
Jesus  in  developing  all  the  latent  capacities  of  the  human  soul 
and  in  giving  them  their  completest  satisfaction. 

Fellow  men  of  Union  Seminary,  I came  here  as  a student  with 
the  conviction  that  the  finest  possible  achievement  in  life  would 

, be  to  carry  Jesus  Christ  with  his  Gospel  of  divine 

Conclusion.  . . . . , . , . A.  A . , . 

righteous  love  out  into  a needy  world  and  m Ins 

fellowship  to  help  establish  the  Kingdom  of  God  upon  earth. 
In  my  subsequent  missionary  experience  in  India,  in  the  class- 
room and  in  the  sick  room,  in  the  house  of  punishment  and  in 
the  house  of  worship,  in  the  business  office  and  in  the  home,  at 
the  editor’s  desk  and  in  heart-to  heart  converse  with  men  of 
many  religions,  I have  found  that  it  is  Jesus  Christ  who  pre- 
eminently gives  light,  truth,  comfort,  peace,  hope,  joy,  power, 
life,  that  it  is  he  who  especially  turns  men  from  sin  into  right- 
eousness, and  that  he  satisfies  all  the  religious  needs  of  men  as 
no  one  else  has  done.  Now,  as  I take  up  a new  work  here,  I 
have  attempted  to  set  forth  a sympathetic  appreciation  of  the 
other  great  religions  of  the  world  in  order  to  furnish  a well- 
reasoned  basis  and  application  for  the  stupendous  Christian 
faith,  that  Jesus  Christ  and  he  alone  will  satisfy  the  religious 
needs  of  the  world.  And  I hereby  pledge  that  my  future  teach 
ings  and  activities  shall  be  directed  to  the  task  of  helping  you 
and  all  my  world-brothers  to  secure  the  fullest  satisfaction  of 
our  common  religious  needs  in  the  supreme  Satisfier,  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord. 


IRVING  F H 
SEW  YUR 


